Apparatus for separating and positioning flat objects at a packaging machine



Nov. 30, 1965 P. LUGINBUHL 3,220,604 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING ANDPOSITIONING FLAT OBJECTS AT A PACKAGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 5 1962 Nov. 30, 1965 P. LUGINBUHL 3,220,604

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND POSITIONING FLAT OBJECTS AT A PACKAGINGMACHINE Filed July 5. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 6 M3,220,604 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND POSITION- ING FLAT OBJECTS AT APACKAGING MA- CHINE Pierre Luginbiihl, Neuhausen am Rheinfal],Switzerland,

assignor to Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, Neuhausen amRheinfall, Switzerland Filed July 5, 1962, Ser. No. 207,629 Claimspriority, application Switzerland, July 17, 1961, 8,370/ 61 7 Claims.(Cl. 2219) The present invention broadly relates to an improved devicefor handling objects, preferably relatively flat objects and, morespecifically, relates to an improved apparatus for separating andpositioning flat objects which travel in a continuous or uninterruptedrow to a packaging machine.

It is thus an important object of the present invention to provideimproved apparatus for quickly and reliably separating and positioningobjects advancing in a continuous row.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision ofimproved apparatus for handling articles in an efiicient manner, whichapparatus is relatively simple in construction, highly reliable inperformance, and economical to manufacture.

A further important object of the present invention is to provideimproved means for separating articles supported in a continuous rowupon an oscillating or reciprocating support surface, including meansactuated by the advancing articles for raising at least one or more ofsuch articles from said support surface to permit separation of theforwardmost article from said continuous row of articles, as well asmeans for transporting the forwardmost separated article into positionfor subsequent handling thereof.

Still another important object of the present invention is the provisionof improved apparatus for separating and positioning articles travellingin a continuous row to a packaging machine for example, whereinseparation of such articles and further transport thereof is carried outin dependence upon the work cycle of the packaging apparatus.

The apparatus of the present invention in a preferred constructionalform, is manifested in the provision of a reciprocating or oscillatingplate member which is disposed along a guideway and is adapted toadvance objects in the direction of feed, and by an arm member which ispivotable about a horizontal axis in rhythm with the work cycle of apackaging machine, with said arm member being provided with meanscapable of undertaking pivotable or swivelable movement to engagerecesses provided in the oscillating plate member to raise the objectsfrom the surface of the oscillating plate member. There is furtherprovided control means which are actuated by the incoming objects whichcontrol the movement of the arm member, as well as transport means whichseize or grasp the object which momentarily influences the control meansand further conveys such object.

Still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of thepresent invention will become apparent from the detailed descriptiongiven hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific -examples,while indicating preferredembodiments of the 3,220,604 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 invention, are givenby way of illustration only, since various changes and modificationswithin the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a side view of a device of thetype described and constructed according to the present invention,partly in section, and taken along the lines I-I of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1 depictingsuch device in another operating position;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the device depicted in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines IVIV of FIGURE 1;and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines VV of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings the articles which are to be handled, andin the illustrated embodiment are shown by way of illustration astablets or block-form objects 1, for example, are fed onto anoscillating or reciprocating plate member 3 by means of a conveyer or byfalling within a guideway 2. The reciprocating plate member 3 isdisplaceably mounted along the length of the guideway 2. A suitableactuating arrangement such as the lever system 4, 5 permits the platemember 3 to be moved to and fro in a reciprocatory manner, and indeedsuch plate member is relatively gently accelerated in a direction of thearrow A, although at the end of its stroke it is curtly braked andreturned. The time for the return stroke of the reciprocating platemember is so calculated, that the plate member is returned before theobjects which have been set into movement during the feed or advancingstroke have completed their path of travel. Thus, the return stroke ofthe reciprocating plate member 3 is carried out quicker than the feedstroke thereof. In this manner there is accomplished the result that thearticles 1 which lie on the plate member 3 during the braking and returnmovement of the plate member glide in the direction of arrow A, that isto say, in the direction of feed and are further conveyed in anuninterrupted or continuous row. Suitable drive means 411, for example apneumatic drive motor, are operatively connected with the lever system4, 5 for imparting to the plate member 3 such desired oscillating orreciprocating motion.

The reciprocating plate member 3 exhibits a pair of recesses 6 intowhich extend two tongue members 7. As can be best seen by inspectingFIGURE 4, the tongue members 7 are operatively connected to a sleeve orhub member 8 arranged laterally of the reciprocating plate member 3 andwhich is pivotable about a shaft member 9. Additionally, an arm member10 is secured to the hub member 8 and carries at its forwardmost end ashaft member 11, about which a locking plate 12 is pivotable. Thislocking plate 12 carries an extended portion or nose 12:: whichcooperates with an abutment member 13. .A tens-ion spring 14 is providedwhich continually strives to pull the locking plate 12 and its nosemember 12a into the position shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 1, inwhich the nose member 12a lies against the abutment member 13 andprevents a pivoting of the arm member 10 from the position shown inFIGURE 1 into that illustrated in FIGURE 2. However, it is to beappreciated that the spring 14 is adjusted or dimensioned in such amanner that the articles which strike the locking plate 12 are able topivot this locking plate out of its locking position, into a releaseposition as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1. In this position of thelocking plate 12,. the arm member is able to unobstructedly pivot aboutthe shaft member 9.

The arm member 10, when it is not in its blocked position, is pivotedback and forth between the positions illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 inaccordance with the working cycle of the packaging machine by suitablemeans known to the art and here not shown. Further, the arm member 10carries a guide plate which overcomes the tendency of the incoming oradvancing articles to pile up or pyramid on top of one another insuperimposed or layer formation. Adjacent and downstream of guide plate15 there is arranged a further abutment plate 15a which also preventspyramiding of articles on top of the forwardmost article In adjacent thelocking plate 12, particularly when the tongue members 7 are in theposition shown in FIGURE 2.

Additionally, suitable transport means are provided which in the desiredform shown, are constructed as a movable conveyer fork 16 which isprovided with two entraining means 16a, 16b which extend into therecesses 6. This conveyer fork 16 is moved in rhythm with the operatingcycle of the packaging machine via suitable means 160. As illustrated inFIGURE 2 suitably curved guide rails are adapted to guide the conveyorfork 16 vertically during its reciprocation imparted thereto by theactuating mechanism 160, FIGURE 3, through the path of travel 17. Thus,the conveyer fork 16 is moved by means of an appropriate drive unit 16c(FIG- URE 3) from its illustrated end position of FIGURE 1 to the leftof the drawing, while simultaneously undergoing a lowering movement sothat its entrainment means 16a passes below the article In which restsagainst the locking plate 12 and thereafter is again raised. At the sametime the arm member 10 pivots upwardly into the position shown in FIGURE2, whereby the tongue members 7 raise one or more articles which liedirectly behind the forwardmost article 1a. The entrainment means 16a ofthe conveyer fork 16 then displaces the article 1a towards the rightinto the position indicated by article 1b, whereupon the conveyer fork16 again lowers after. reaching the end of its forward stroke and isagain displaced towards the left of the drawing. During the subsequentstroke of the conveyer fork 16, the article 1b is pushed onto a plungeror push rod 18 by means of the entrainment means 16b, and this articlenow assumes the position indicated by article 1c. During the returnmovement of the conveyer fork 16 the push rod 18 is momentarily raisedout of the position shown in FIGURE 1, into the position shown in FIGURE2. In this position of the push rod 18 the article 1c is grasped bysuitable conveyer or transport means (not shown) and directed to afurther working station of the packaging machine.

Thus, the arm member 10, the conveyer fork 16 and the push rod 18 areadapted to be driven in working rhythm with the packaging machine by theactuating mechanism 160. The conveyer fork 16 is, however, preferably soconstructed that it will move to the right when the arm member 10 isbeing lowered. If desired, other mechanisms can be provided foractuating the arm 10 and fork 16 by providing a suitable linkage orlever system between the arm member 10 and the conveyer fork 16. If thearm member 10 is then locked by the locking plate 12 and extensionmember 12a, in a manner as previously described, then the conveyer fork16 is also in its rest position. Since the arm member 10 can onlyundertake a pivotable movement when an article is sit uated against thelocking plate 12, there is thus positively insured that during eachworking stroke of the apparatus an article will be fed ontov the pushrod 18.

Having thus described the present invention what is desired to besecured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for separating and positioning of fiat articles which areadvanced in a continuous row to a packaging machine, comprising amovable support member provided with recess means and adapted to supportand displace articles in a supply direction along a guideway, an armmember mounted for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis in rhythmwith the operating cycle of a packaging machine, tongue meansoperatively connected with said arm member for movement into said recessmeans to raise articles from the surface of said support member, stopcontrol means actuated by said advancing articles for permitting upwardmovement of the arm member, and reciprocating transport means movablebeneath said tongue means during the raising of said arm member andcontrol means and permitting the transport means to engage and furtherconvey articles.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including drive means operable forimparting to said support member a reciprocatory movement, such thatsaid support member undergoes a gentle acceleration in said supplydirection of the articles and then an abrupt braking movement.

3. A device for separating and positioning articles moving in acontinuous row, comprising a plate member mounted for reciprocatorymovement and defining a support surface for articles, means forreciprocating said plate member, means pivotably mounted to cooperatewith said plate member and the articles carried thereon which in oneposition thereof removes articles away from said support surface, meansfor oscillating said pivotally mounted means, stop means cooperatingwith said pivotably mounted means actuatable by said articles forpermitting pivotable movement of said pivotably mounted means into saidone position, and transport fork means movable beneath said pivotallymounted means during the raising of said pivotally mounted means to saidone position for separating and removing the forwardmost article of saidcontinuous row of articles.

4. A device for separating and positioning articles moving in acontinuous row, comprising a plate member mounted for reciprocatorymovement and defining a support surface for articles, means operativelyconnected with said plate member for reciprocating said plate member,said plate member being provided with recess means, arm means pivotablymounted to cooperate with said plate member and the articles carriedthereon, said arm means including tongue means which in one position ofsaid arm means moves into said recess means and removes articles awayfrom said support surface, means for oscillating said arm means, controlmeans cooperating with said pivotably mounted arm means actuatable bysaid articles for permitting pivotable movement of said pivtoablymounted arm means into said one position, and transport means movablebeneath said tongue means during the raising of said arm means to saidone position and for separating and removing the forwardmost article ofsaid continuous row of articles.

5. A device for separating and positioning articles moving in acontinuous row, comprising a plate member mounted for reciprocatorymovement and defining a support surface for articles, drive meansoperatively connected with said plate member for reciprocating saidplate member, said plate member being provided with recess means, armmeans pivotably mounted adjacent the end of said plate member tocooperate with said plate member and the articles carried thereon, saidarm means being provided with tongue means which in one position of saidarm means moves into said recess means and removes articles away fromsaid support surface, control means cooperating with said pivotablymounted means actuatable by a forwardmost article of said continuous rowof articles for permitting pivotable movement of said pivotably mountedarm means into. said one position, said control means and said arm meansbeing positioned such that said tongue means only raise articlessituated rearwardly of said forwardmost article, and transport meansmovable beneath said tongue means during the raising of said arm meansto said one position for separating and removing said forwardmostarticle of said continuous row of articles.

6. A device for separating and positioning articles moving in acontinuous row according to claim 5, wherein said transport means areconstructed as a substantially U-shaped conveyer fork having uprightentrainment means between which an article is seized.

7. A device for separating and positioning articles moving in acontinuous row according to claim 5, where- References Cited by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1951 Sticelber 19821 3/1960 Hallam198-21 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD A. SROKA, RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiners.

1. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND POSITIONING OF FLAT ARTICLES WHICH AREADVANCED IN A CONTINUOUS TOW TO A PACKAGING MACHINE, COMPRISING AMOVABLE SUPPORT MEMBER PROVIDED WITH RECESS MEANS AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORTAND DISPLACE ARTICLES IN A SUPPLY DIRECTION ALONG A GUIDEWAY, AN ARMMEMBER MOUNTED FOR PIVOTABLE MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS IN RHYTHMWITH THE OPERATING CYCLE OF A PACKAGING MACHINE, TONGUE MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID ARM MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT INTO SAID RECESSMEANS TO RAISE ARTICLES FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, STOPCONTROL MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID ADVANCING ARTICLES FOR PERMITTING UPWARDMOVEMENT OF THE ARM MEMBER, AND RECIPROCATING TRANSPORT MEANS MOVABLEBENEATH SAID TONGUE MEANS DURING THE RAISING OF SAID ARM MEMBER ANDCONTROL MEANS AND PERMITTING THE TRANSPORT MEANS TO ENGAGE AND FURTHERCONVEY ARTICLES.